The Royal New Zealand Ballet’s hugely popular Tutus on Tour – a tasting menu of ballet treats – will deliver rays of early summer sunshine to stages across the country, from Auckland’s North Shore to Invercargill, from 7 October.
Artistic Director Patricia Barker has curated a gorgeous gala programme which showcases RNZB dancers at their very best. Beloved classical favourites sit alongside more recent works, including one New Zealand premiere.
Artists of the RNZB in the Waltz of the Pohutukawa Flowers from The Nutcracker, 2018. Photo by Stephen A’Court
The pas de trois from Le Corsaire offers firecracker virtuosity, while the joyful ‘Waltz of the Pohutukawa Flowers’ and grand pas de deux from our production of The Nutcracker, choreographed by Val Caniparoli, look forward to Christmas with warmth and grandeur.
On the contemporary side, Christopher Wheeldon’s After the Rain pas de deux (2005) makes its RNZB debut. Gentle and tender, showing a profound connection between its performers, it is a work that is cherished by every dancer lucky enough to perform it.
Principals Nadia Yanowsky and Paul Matthews in the grand pas de deux from the Nutcracker, 2018. Photo by Stephen A’Court
Olivier Wevers’ The Sofa (2013) introduces this rising star of contemporary choreography to Aotearoa. Rounding out this generous programme of dance is RNZB Choreographer in Residence Shaun James Kelly’s The Ground Beneath Our Feet (2019), an exuberant ballet, tailor-made for the RNZB, that rides the scintillating rhythms of its music like a rollercoaster.
Reintroduced in 2017, Tutus on Tour is a chance for ballet lovers young and old across the country to indulge their passion. The enchanting summer programme offers tickets from $39 for adults and $22 for children. These special shows sell fast, so it is recommended ticket buyers move quickly. The Company will perform in Auckland at the Due Drop Events Centre Manukau on 26th October and at the Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna on 28th and 29th October.
Tutus on Tour will return in February – March 2023, visiting additional venues from the Far North to the Deep South. Dates and details will be announced in October.
Book tickets now at rnzb.org.nz
